Sheet-metal construction for truck bodies, etc.



July 17, i923...

A. s. HUGHES SHEET METAL `GONSTRUCTION FOR TRUCK BODIES Filed'nec. 2:5., 1919 4 Sheets-sheet' 1 1 Aff/fur @g1-@zes myavsfo;

. ATTORNEY July 17, 1923.

1 l A. S. HUGHES i -sHglET METAL coNsTRUcTIoN FOR TRUCK BODIES, ETC

Filed nec. 2e, 1919 4 sheets-sheet 2 rfzu MQW/'jini NvENToR ATTORNEY` v July 17, 1923. 1,461,907

' A. S. HUGHES y I SHEET METAL CONSTRUCTION FOR TRUCK BODIES, ETC

. yzenflvEN-rog ATTO R N EY A. S. HUGHES SHEET METAL CONSTRUCTION FCR lljRUCK BODIES July l -FiIed DSC. P26 1919 Sheets- Sheet 4 WITNESSES Patented July 17, 1923.

citizen of the United States.

tichland and 1 specliication,

" UNITED s'm'ras PATENT OFFICE.

` annum emmen Buenas, or manana, omo.

consrnuc'non ron 'rmrcx nomas, me.

puntata ma' member se, ma semi n. 347,429.

To all whomitmay concern.'

Be it known that LAa'rn-Un S. Huelma, a residing at. Mansfield in the county of State of hio, have invented a new and useful Sheet-Metal .Construction Afor Truck Bodies, Etc., ofwhich the following is a specification. This invention has reference to sheet metal construction designed for truck bodies, and other purposes. The object is to provide a construction which will utilize sheets of pressed steel, or

the like, to form bodies of superior strength and rigidity having no interior projections. Bodies formed in accordance with the present invention permit of-readyreplacement of worn or damaged parts. v

The present application 'presents an 1mprovement on the sheet metal truck body described and claimed 'in my co-pendinlf/l a'pplication Serial No. 284,293, tiled arch 22, 1919. Itis also a modified form of the truck body described in anapplication. filed of even date which application is generic to the present invention. Those constructions not specifically claimed herein will, for the most, part,

be found to be covered by claims in either the previously'liled application or in the ap# plication of even date referredto.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming part of this with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in' the drawings, but may be changed and modified, so 'long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure4 from the salient features ofthe invention 'as expressed in the appendedclaims. l

In the drawings r Fig. l'is a side elevation of a dumping truck body constructed inl accordance with the resent invention, parts not pertaining to t e same being' shown conventionally;

Fig. 2 is a 'rear end elevation of the same with the end gate shown partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view. `on an enlarged scale, of the form ofv corner brace shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a cro sectional view of a porf herewith, Serial No. 347,428,

lthe yokes 16 maybe secured .to.1ongitu tion of a truck body of the character shown in Figs. 1.and 2, but braced by a modified form of corner locking means Fig. '5 is a section on the line 5-5 o'f igfis a section on the line 6-6' of Fig. 4;

. ig. 7 is a' section showing the connection b eween the front end plate and one of the si es; l

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are each cross sectional views of further modified forms-of the corner bracing means.

Referrin particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, 11 indicatesa and 12 the wheels. 4A cross beam 13 serves as a rest for. the Aforward end of the bod being secured to the frame 11. An ang e, bar -18 is made fast to the forward underside of the truck body, and a cable 19 or the Ilike is secured iny any convenient way to the an le bar. This cable -is designed to me 0r chassis Yof 'an auto truck,

be secure t0 a hydraulic hoist or similar means whereby the truck body may dump its load when lifted at its forward end.

dersideof the truck body in any desirable way embrace the rod 23 and a neighboring angle plate 14. As shown in Fi 2i a channel locking bars 17. The mounting of thetruck body upon the frame is such that when its forward end is lifted, its rear end will be lowered, the movement taking place jupon the rod 2311's an axis. Each angle plate 14 is provided. witha web 15 upon which a cross rod 2O is mounted. The outer ends of the cross rod are each secured to links 20* which, in turn., are secured to links' 20". The u per ends of links 20h aremade fast in any esirable way with curved links 20 which, in turn, are pivotally connected with latch rods 20`. These latch rods secure a tail-gate 21 hingedly supported at its upper end at the rear of the truck body.

Inasmuch as allthis construction has been.v

described in more detail in the application filed 'of even date herewith referred to above, it is not thought necessary to refer to it further. It will be clear, however, that los the tail-gate is entirely automatic in its operation, opening when the truck body is lifted at its forward end and shutting and re-l looking itself when the truck body again rests upon the cross beam 13. The tail-gate and means for operating the same form nopart of my invention, and are only illustrated as one of the many constructions of automatic gates which' might be used in con# nection with the dumping truck body that forms the subject of the present application. A front end plate 29 is provided for the body.` I have shown in Figure 7 a detail sectional view illustratingthe connection between the end plate and the adj acent transverse channell member. This feature is fully described and claimed in the aforesaid companion application.

i clined portion 25 and a vertical portion 26.

v:ses

The horizontal, inclined and vertical or upright portions are formedv out of the same metal sheet, a plurality of these sheetswhen juxtaposed, forming the bottom and sides of the truck body. Preferably the inclined portions 25 lie at an angle of forty-ve degrees with the horizontal 'portions of the transverse channel or body members, whileI the vertical portions 26 make an angle of forty-five degrees with the inclined portions, or ninety degrees with the horizontalv portions. Instead of this' arrangementof the portions, some other angular relation may.

` 'bel used, but inany case there will at least two portions in addition to the horizontal portion bent from -each end g of the transverse channel or body members. Instead of the' two bent portions, there may be three or more, in which event' there will be a corresponding number of 'locking and bracing members provided'at the bend. "To permit the bending of the body members the flanges thereof are split as indicated at24.

lThe transversechannel or body members have dependingl flanges 30, inclined flanges 31 and outstanding flanges 32 corresponding with the portions of the same. l These anges all lie in the' same vertical Yplane ,and are provided with-breaks or cuts defining thesame, which breaks or cuts are made before the portions are bent into their final form, as

willvbe readily understood. The extreme. upper ends of the 'portions u26 are bent tov form outwardlyl projecting flanges 27, Veach having a bead 28. This construction materially increases the strength of the sides o f the truck body, besides adding to the appearance of the same. l

The longitudinal channel lockingbars 17, above referred to, interlock with each of thelanges 30 of the transverse channel members by a series of'slots where the flanges intersect each other, this construction hav! ing been specifically described and claimed in the other applications. these longitudinal locking channel members to additionally lockthe transverse members together and provide more secure bracing of the same. These rods alsobeing described and claimed in the other two applications, it is not believed to be necessary to further explain their function or construction.

In connection with the plurality of bends given the transverse body members, the principal feature of the present invention is the provision of bracing and locking members placed outside the bends which run longitudinally of the body. These members or locking means -straddle the bends of and are interlocked with the flanges of adjacent portions of the transverse members. e The accompanying drawings depict five forms of this locking means, 'the first form being shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the second form in Fig. 4, and the .other three forms in Figs. 8, 9 and 1.0. All these modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

The first form of locking member, shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 3, -comprises a substantially channel-shaped member indicated generally by the reference numeral 33 and comprising a web 34, sides 35 bent inwardlytoward each other, and outstanding flanges 36 provided at the ends ofthe The corner bracing members 33 v sides .35. interlock withv the flanges of both the portions of the transverse channel or body members, whichv they are designed to hold together. One channel-locking member 33 will hold together the horizontal and in- Rods 37 run with clined portions by means of its interlocking connection with the flanges 30 and 31, while the other locking member will hold together the .inclined and upright portions by interlocking with the flanges 31 and 32. In either case, the corner bracing channel membersvare formed exactly the same, and

have rods 37 running `longitudinally therewith, which rods pass through the flanges of adjacent portions. The rods 37 provided for the corner bracing members are exactly like the-rods running with-the longitudinal channel bars 17. The outturned flanges 36 4 are so formedl as to bear `fiat against the outer sides or facesof the portions of the transverse members with which they interlock.v V Thus the upper flange 36 in Fig. 3 bears lflat against the portion 26 and is heldv securely in place by a rod 37, while in turn interlocking with the flangesV 32.4 I,

In the modification disclosed ,in Fig. 4,

the .longitudinal corner bracing means is angle members. straddle each vmade up of two parts. This form of locking member is much like the locking member shown in Fig. 13 in the application filed of even date herewith. It comprises a first part having an approximate V-shape in cross sectionywith a long side 39 and a short side 40. The side 39 has an outstanding flange 42 and the side 40 a similar flan e 41. The latter flange is bent at right ang es to the side 40, while the flange 42 extends at an angle greater than a right with respect to the side 39. The second part 'of the locking member includes a straight side 43 having a ri-ght angle flange 45 vat its upper end anda lower locking flange 44 engaged with vthe outstanding flange 42, 'whereby' the two parts of the locking member are united. The lockin of the longitudina corners as shown, with the side 40 interlocked with the flanges of the u per one of adjacent portions,'while the si es 43 in-y terlock with the flan es 4of the lower one of the portions. In ot er words, one of the locking and bracing members lnterlocks by means of slots 31L with the flanges 31 and by means of slots a with the flanges 30, and the other longitudinal bracing member interlocksl by means of slots 31b with the flanges 31, and b means of slots 32 with the flanges 32. ods 37 run longitudinally' with the locking members intersecting with ing slots 30a, 31,

' each of the outstanding ilangesof the transverse channel or ,body member, these rods bearing against the outer faces of the outstanding flanges 41 and 45. The side 40 is locked in a perpendicular position with respect to the section 25 .or 26, as the case -may be, while the side 43 is held in a simi- .lar position with respect tothe section 24 or 25, as the case may be.

It will be understood that the interlock- 32B, shown in Fig. 4, are somewhat exaggerated in size inorder that they may be clearly seen. As a matter of fact, however, the interlocking slots of the outstanding flanges 30, 31 and 32, have a width about equalto the thickness of' the sides of the longitudinal' locking members and the sides of the locking members, in' turn, have slots of aboutvthe same widthl as the thickness of the flanges 30, 31 and 32, whereb the interlocking of the transverse and ongitudinal members is made a secure one.`` Adjacent flanges of portions 25 and 26 of fthe body are united vtogether 'by having one flange bent over the free edge of the otherand returned, as illustrated in Fig. 6. In Fig. 4, this interlocking flange connection is absent from the bottom vportion 24.

lockingfmembers shown 1n i. detail p in In place ofthelongitudinal bracingFand 3 and'4', three other modifications might be employed. The first of these' modificationslI whole, is set at is illustrated in Fig. 8, which, as a comparison will show, is quite similar to Fig. 3. Here, the portions 24 and 25, or 25 and' 26, as the case may be, are united by a channel Vbracing member 50 having sides 51 at right angles to the web and outstanding flanges 52, which flanges are disposed at an angle greater than a right angle with respect to the sides 51. The channel member 50, as a an angle intermediate that between the ortions ,which are braced.

Thus if the adiacent portions lie at anglesv of forty-five degrees with respect to each other, the web of the channel member 50 I will make an angle of twenty-two and onehalf degrees with respect to either portion,

'while the sides 51 will extend at angles of sixty-seven and one-half degrees with re- 67 has an outstanding flange 68 extending `at an angle considerably greater than a right angle, in the present case one hundred and thirty-five degrees. The sides 65 and 67 are each perpendicular each other. i v

As to the construction shownin Fig. 10, it isv in many respects similar to the conf to the web 64 of the channel member and therefore, parallel to struction of Fig. 4, but inthis case the two sections 53 and 53b ofthe longitudinal bracing member are brought'toward each other to meet in an interlocking joint approxi mately midway of the interlocking connection with the respective Vportions 25, 26. Here the upper part 53a of the locking member has a straight side 56 having an outstanding flangel 57 at right angles thereto and another side 54at the other end at right a'ngles. Thislatter side 54 has a flange 55 bent at an angle greater than a right angle. The part 53 includes the straight side 59 having anA outstanding flange 60,;at right angles, a side 58 at right angles to a side 59 and an interlocking connection 61, 62,with the flange 55 of the upper part. Thus ,it is seen that instead of t e interlocking connection between the parts of the longitudinal brace running beneath the lower of the united sections, as in Fig. 4, it ylies between said sections.

I wish it understood that, in some constructions of bodies itfmay be ,advisable or necessary to arrange the body members longitudinally instead oftransversel .which would necessitate locating the-loc g and bracing bars or members transversely. These obvious modifications arel'within the scope ofv my invention. i

midway p together to form the bottom of said body.l

` the fiange of one member being lapped over the ange of the adjacent member, each of said channel members having their flanges split and being bent upwardly a plurality of times to form integral portions compris ing the sides of said body.

2. In a body, a plurality of channel members having their flanges facing outwardly and placed in juxtaposition and secured together to form the bottom of said body, each of said channel members having their flanges split and being bent upwardly to form a side for said body, said side comprising a portion lying` at -substantially forty-live degrees and a portion at substantially ninety degrees with respect tothe body bottom.

3. In a body, a plurality of'channel body members having their {langes-'facing "outwardly and placed in juxtaposition and secured together to form thebottom of said body, each of said channel members having their flanges split --at a plurality of'places and bent atsaidsplit portions to form an inclined portion and a vertical portion, and a locking and bracing member for each bent and split portion, said locking and bracing Y member spanning the split portion and intefrlocking with the flanges at each side thereo l 4. In a body, a plurality ofchannel members placed in juxtaposition and secured together to form the bottom of said body,

with the flanges of said members facing outwardly, each of said channel members being bent upwardly to form an inclined portion and a vertical portion, and channel locking and bracing members running at right angles to the body members on the outside of the latter to interlock with the flanges thereof and brace the bends or corners of the same. A j

5. In a body, a plurality of channel body members placed in juxtaposition and secured together to form the bottom of said body, with the flanges of said members facing outwardly, each of said channel members being bent upwardly `a plurality of times to form .integral portions of. approximately equal width making` substantially equal an gles with each other, and a plurality of spaced locking` members on the outside of the body interlocking with the flanges of the channel members, certain of said locking members also body.

6. In a body, a plurality of channel body members placed in juxtaposition to form the bottom of said. body, with the flanges of said `members lfacing outwardly, each of said channel members being bent upwardly to form aside for said body, said side comprising a portion lying at substantially forty-five degrees and a portion at substantially ninety degrees with respect to the body bottom, and a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinally extending locking members intel-locked with the anges of the channel members and lying without the load-containing part of said body, certain of said locking members bracing the longitudinal corners of the body.

7. 'In a truck body,4 a. plurality of transbracing the corners of the versely arranged channel members placed in juxtaposition to form the bottom of saidbody, each of said channel members being bent upwardly .to form an inclined portion and a vertical portion, and longitudinal locking and bracing members each comprising two parts interlocked with each other, one ofsaid parts being interlocked with the iianges of the upper of the two adjacent por.- tions and the other part being interlocked with the lianges of the lower one of the two adjacent portions.

8, In a body, a plurality of channel meinbers having their flanges facing outwardly and placed in juxtaposition and secured together to form the bottom of said body, each 'of said channel members having their flanges split at a plurality of places at spaced points from one end, and bent at said split portions to form an inclined portion and a vertical portion, and a locking and bracing member for each-split and bent portion, the flanges of said channel members being slotted at each side of thesplit portion, and the locking and bracing member being of channel form, with the flanges of said locking and bracing memberv entering the slots of the flan 'es of said channel member, whereby the locking and bracing member spans the split portion and braces the longitudinalcorners of the body. y

In. testimony, that I claim the foregoing as, my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. v

ARTHUR SHERIDAN HUGHES. 

